The Night Journey

Rache never really knows what to say to her Great-Grandma Sashie. Her family encourages her to spend time with her elderly relative and to talk about school (boring!) or her friends and her daily activities -- but not to get Grandma Sashie talking about the past or the Old Country, because it upsets her. However, when Grandma Sashie starts in on the story of her family's escape from the pogroms of Tsarist Russia, Rache starts to see glimpses of the spunky, spirited young girl who devised a major part of the family's escape plan. Over the next few weeks, Rache sneaks in to Grandma Sashie's room at odd hours to hear of how the family left their hometown of Nicolayev underneath crates of chickens in a wagon, traveled across the countryside show more disguised as Purim players (and, at one point, a funeral procession), and even managed to trick the crooked border guard out of some of the gold they had hidden away in the Hamantaschen cookies! In listening to Grandma Sashie's stories, Rache feels deeply connected to her heritage for the first time in her life. But what will her family say when they learn that she has been talking to Grandma Sashie about the past?

I initially bought this book because it was illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman, and the black-and-white illustrations certainly do add to the book. Grandma Sashie's story is fresh and compelling, though Rache's parts of the book felt a bit dated to me. Still, I'd recommend this book, particularly to readers who enjoy historical fiction involving immigrants. show less

The frame of the story is modern America, with the young girls in a loving family becoming close friends with her great-grandmother. The tale told by the great-grandmother is the story proper, and involves her daring escape from Russia with her family at the turn of the twentieth century.

Everything, from samovars to Russian Imperial troops to coal furnaces to starry skies, is presented just right. The intangibles essential to life, such as liberty, family, memory, loyalty, daring, interpersonal sensitivity, and aesthetic sense, are also presented, in just the right doses, and in beautiful phrases.

It's perfect for YA, and of great value to readers of any age.

A lovely, memorable little novel! I read it in two sittings, by groups of a hundred and something pages at a time. Some parts were a little more difficult to read than I originally expected because it seemed like children's novel, but it really did live up to all the expectations I had. This book is going to stay on my book shelf for quite a while!

A young girl ignores her parents' wishes and persuades her great-grandmother to relate the story of her escape from czarist Russia.

good - Ruthie

Several instances of profanity and taking the Lord's name in vain.

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